14/07/2026
We know that driving tests, or more importantly, booking them is a hot topic for you. This follows the recent changes which came into force on how tests can be booked.
The new booking platform we are working on will not create more tests. However, it will make the process of booking a test much more user-focused.
We last updated you about the progress of the Driver Services Platform (DSP) project back in September 2025 when we brought Kainos onboard to build the new system.
A lot has happened in the last 10 months.
A service built around its users, for its users
When we welcomed Kainos to the team last year, they joined us with a very clear goal: to build a new system to book and schedule car tests, designed for those who use it.
To build a system for a user, the first thing to do is to understand them. So, the team from Kainos immersed themselves in talking to people who use the current service the most. Externally, this is predominantly learner drivers.
Understanding how they want the service to work for them is key. How do they search for tests? What parameters do they use? Possibly more importantly, what in the current system could be improved?
But are the users of the new system just external?
Absolutely not! Within DVSA there are teams of people who use the current booking system every day and will need to do the same with the new version.
For example:
our deployment team makes sure that there are examiners in the right place to do tests
the customer service team uses the system to help handle calls they get every day from learner drivers to help book and manage their test
These are just a couple of examples - the full list is much longer.
Collecting the research from each audience is just the start of the process.
The next challenge is to interpret what the information is saying and turn the answers into a service that delivers what users have asked for.
Working with existing systems
As well as making a system that works for our users, Kainos also needs to make sure it will work alongside current systems used when booking a driving test. This is no mean feat as among other things the system needs to:
talk to DVLA systems to check users’ entitlements
check the theory test system to show the correct test has been completed
work with the payment system to pay for the test
send the details to the examiner’s iPad ahead of the test
if the test is successful, send the results to DVLA so that a license can be created.
Creating something that can integrate with so many systems is achievable in principle, but the real test comes when we see it in action in a real scenario.
A pilot to test the principle
Before we roll out the system more widely, we need to check that it works on a much smaller scale. In this case, one day of testing for one driving examiner at one driving test centre.
We are choosing to start small on purpose. If something does not work as expected, we want to find out when the impact is limited to a handful of people — not thousands. The test centre we are using for the pilot is Durham. We have spoken to local approved driving instructors (ADIs) to find some of their pupils who are ready to take their test and be part of the pilot.
After the pilot has run we will share the outcomes with you and update you on the next steps.
Building on small steps
The new service will be built in small stages. This allows us to keep control of the development while testing smaller pieces of the system separately to make sure they all work before putting them together. This approach prevents making large changes where it is more difficult to spot the part that goes wrong if there’s a problem.
This approach of building and testing in small iterations is fundamental to how we are working. It means we can see the full impact of each change before we make the next one, and it means we are not committing to large-scale implementation before we know the system is ready.
We plan to run further small testing events towards the end of the year. This will help us to work out the best way build and introduce the new system.
After the pilot has run we will share the outcomes with you and update on the next steps.
